Wick cap securing device for pyrophoric lighters



L. BOLLE 2,234,298

WICK CAP SECURING DEVICE FOR PYROPHORIC LIGHTERS March 11, 1941.

INVEIV 7 DR Leon Bolle,

Filed June 26, 1959 Fig.4

Patented Mar. 11, 1941 PATENT OFFICE WICK CAP SECURING DEVICE FOR PYROPHORIC LIGHTERS Lon Bolle, Geneva, Switzerland, assignor to La Nationale S. A., Geneva, Switzerland; a corporation of Switzerland Application June26, 1939, Serial No. 281,245 In Switzerland November 18, 1938 7 Claims.

This invention relates to pyrophoric lighters, and particularly to means providing a fiuidtight closure of the orifice through which the wick passes, which frequently comprises a small cap 5 mounted with clearance in a guide secured to a pivoted cover, and a pressure spring holding the cap constantly on its seating when the lighter is closed, and also for attaching the cap resiliently to its guide or to the cover.

This method of attachment of the cap however does not generally provide security against the cap being drawn off axially, and for example should the wick, when closing the lighter be bent accidentally over the end of the tube through which it passes and be clamped between the cap and the end of this'tube, the cap is frequently detached from the cover and is lost when the lighter is next opened. I

For remedying this disadvantage it is therefore essential to complete this. method of attachment by a retaining device which, while providing for the axial clearance of the cap necessary under the action of the spring, definitely prevents its movement beyond a stop solely under the action of an, axial force.

When, for this purpose, a stationary stop ring is provided in the guide for the cap, the placing in position of the cap and of the spring must be effected before the guide is secured to the cover, that is to say before the completion of the lighter, and when the parts are to be treated in an electrolytic bath or'the grease is simply to be removed, the spring is liable-to become rusty and 1 no longer function.

" A retaining means for the wick cover may be obtained easily by asupplementary member, a screw, pin or stop ring which is removable and which issecur-ed'is position after introducing the cap and the spring into their guide. However,

W independently of the fact that it is not desirable to increase the number of parts of a lighter, the

placing of the cap in the cover is still complicated in the majority of cases by reason of the presence of this supplementary member, and if this member is accessible there is the probability that a too inquisitive owner of a lighter will lose one or other of the parts of the'device when endeavouring to take his lighter to pieces.

The present invention has for its object a device which retains the cap without the necessity of a supplementary part and externally it does not disclose the very simple manner in which the cap is placed in position or removed.

In this device the cap and its guide are each provided with one of the parts of a retaining bayonet joint device, and it is the resistance to twisting of the compression sprin which, when the bayonet joint device is in the retaining position, is utilised for opposing a rotation by which it can be brought into its disengaged position.

Two forms of construction of the invention are shown in the accompanying drawing, wherein: i

Fig. 1 is an axial section of the first form of construction.

Fig. 2 is a cross-section on the line II-II of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is an axial section of the second form of construction.

As shown in the drawing, the cover I of the lighter is provided with a guide 2 of tubular shape provided internally with a circular rib 3 provided with two diametrically opposite notches 4, this rib constituting oneof the'parts of the bayonet joint retaining device.

The sealing and snufier cap 5, located in the guide 2, is provided at the top with the second part of the bayonet joint device, that is to say two oppositely located projections 6 adapted topass through the notches 4 of the rib 3 when the cap is fitted into its guide, but preventing its withdrawal when these two parts have received a relative angular movement of about half a revolution about their commonaxis.

The compression spring 8, which constantly tends to push the cap out of its guide, bears at one end under the rib 3 of the guide and at the other end against a shoulder I provided at the lower portion of the cap. Y

Theends of the spring 8 bear with considerable friction against the respective cylindrical portions of. the guide and the cap so that for mounting the cap in its guide and bringing it into the retained position it is necessary, after having brought the projections and notches of the bayonet joint device opposite one another, to press the cap into the guide until the projections have passed the rib 3 and then by turning the cap about its axis, causes one of the ends of the spring 8 to slide through about 90 on the member with which it is in considerable frictional contact. When the cap is then released, its projections, under the action of the resiliency of the compression spring 8, engage behind the rib 3 .and are directed automatically along a diameter substantially perpendicular to that of the notches, that is to say in the most satisfactory retaining position of the bayonet joint device.

' may be located in the upper portion of the It will be obvious that the removal of the cap can be effected just as easily by simply reversing the order. and the directions of the operations above described.

' Instead of maintaining the bayonet joint device in its retaining position by compressing the spring between the cap and its guide, the arrangement may be as shown in Fig. 3 in which the spring 8 is provided at its ends with two proto bring the projections 6 on a diameter subst'antially perpendicular to that of the notches, the projections 9 at the ends of the spring, which is not subjected to a twisting force, are then exactly opposite the notches with which they 1 are adapted to engage. For withdrawing the cap 5 it is necessary to overcome the resistance .to twisting of the spring so as to bring the projections of the cap opposite the notches of the rib of the guide, then to withdraw the cap which entrains therewith the spring 8.

It will be understood that various modifications may be made in the details of construction of. the devices described without departing from the scope of the invention. For example the bayonet joint device may-be placed at a different height relatively to the guide or the compression spring guide.

I claim: Y

1. In a pyrophoric lighter, the combination with a cover pivotally mounted on the lighter and a wick holder, of a pair of members constituting sealing and snuffer means for the Wick, one of, said members constituting guide means on the cover and projecting downwardly therefrom nor mally to, surround the wick-holder, and the other of said members constituting a cap located in; said guide means, said guide and cap each being provided with one of the parts of a bayonet joint device, a compression spring mounted between a portion of the guide and portion of said cap, said a a projection, seats provided in said cap and in said guide, said seats being so arranged that when the cap is in the correct position relatively to the guide the projectionsengage with-said seats and thus prevent relative angular movement between the cap and the guide.

3. A device according to claim 1, wherein'one of the members is provided with a cavity, while the spring is provided at one end with a projection, said projection being adapted to engage with said cavity, the other end of the spring bearing tightly on the other member, the arrangement being such that when the two members are in the correct relative position, the cap and guide are prevented from relative angular movement.

4. A device according to claim 1, wherein said guide comprises a tubular element, a circular rib in the interior of'said element, at least one notch in said rib, and at least one projection on said cap, the arrangement being such that for engagement of thecap and guide the projection and notch are brought into register, whereupon the spring turns the cap and guide relative to one another through an angle of about 90. Y o

5. A device according to claim lj wherein the, guide comprises a tubular element, a circular rib in the interior of said, tubular element, said rib having at least one projection on said cap, ,a shoulder on said cap, said spring beinglocated between said shoulderand said rib. I

6. In a device of thecharacter described the. combination comprising a tubular member, an internal circular rib on said tubular member, said rib having a pair of diammetrically oppositely dis-, posed notches therein, a cap slidably mounted in said tubular member,a pair of diammetrically op positely disposed projections on said cap, a shoul der on said cap, a compression spring located be: tween said shoulder and said rib, said spring bearing with considerable friction against said rib. and said shoulder, the arrangement being such that.

when the projections have been moved through said notches said springturns and holds said projections relatively displaced to said notches by rib having a pair of diammetrically oppositely disposed notches therein, a cap slidablymounted in said tubular member, a pair of diammetrically oppositely disposed projections on said cap, a shoulder on said cap, a compression springflo cated between said shoulder and said rib, projec-' tions at the opposite ends of said spring, said rib and'said shoulder having oppositely located seats therein, said seats being engaged by the projections at the ends of said spring, the arrangement being such that when the projections on said spring are in' engagement with said seatings the projections on said cap are relatively displaced to said notches by an angle of about 90.

LE'oN BoL nf 

